


Untangling the Web, Strand by Strand

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Changing Fate [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Jedi Mind Trick, Jedi Training, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 10:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6562939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Separatists a little quieter, Qui-Gon has time to bring Anakin to Coruscant for extensive training. When this leads to an encounter with a certain politician, the Jedi Council get a new focus. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan learns a different piece of unwelcome news.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untangling the Web, Strand by Strand

(26 BBY)

While there was very little that Qui-Gon Jinn could not teach of the basics in being a Jedi, he was more than wise enough to know his own limitations, and to wish to not hamper Anakin reaching his full ability. While Obi-Wan Kenobi was excellent help, and was taking Anakin's lightsaber training further than Qui-Gon, he was handling more missions on his own or with other Knights. The dangers to the Republic had eased some, or perhaps buried themselves deeper. The Separatist Movement was still cutting into normal life, but it had been over a year since the Council rescinded their suggestion that Jedi work in pairs at all times.

This meant more Masters were back at the Temple, available to perform the cross-training Anakin needed now, and Qui-Gon had finally chosen to settle them back on Coruscant to take advantage of it.

It would also grant him more time to persuade more Masters to his view that perhaps the Jedi were failing the very tenets they embraced by becoming strictly pawns of the Senate instead of actively seeking out the wrongs of the galaxy and mediating them.

Obi-Wan, already finding Anakin's moodiness a test of his own patience, immediately volunteered for a reconnaissance mission in Separatist territories, to see what he could learn undercover. He loved his little brother, but at fifteen and some months, Anakin's calm and ability to focus was somewhat frayed by hormones. He was even sympathetic, as Anakin was still in love with the unobtainable Padmé, much as Obi-Wan had known loves he could not have. 

Obi-Wan truly hoped his hormonal years hadn't been this terrible to Qui-Gon.

Anakin did his best to devote himself to his lessons with the Masters, learning what of the healing arts he could from the senior healers (even from Vokara Che, though the Twi'lek woman had given him a bad few moments, the first time they met; her coloring reminding him very much of Ann and Tann Gella), some insights into negotiation (without lightsabers, preferably!) from Ki-Adi-Mundi, a different style of Force-kinesis from Masters Tiplee and Tiplar. He also had a great deal of free time on his hands, and he was not barred from investigating Coruscant. 

Coruscant still set poorly on his nerves, being so crowded and teeming with life, but he'd gotten adept at shielding. With Padmé likely to pursue the Senate, if only because her people wished her to, it made sense to see what he could of that side of Coruscant life. Anakin wanted to be familiar with the dangers she might face, after all. The Sith were still out there even if they had quieted their plans. Of Darth Sidious, they had not heard a whisper, and Darth Tyranus seemed to stay closer to Separatist Territory.

The Senate was even in session today, and so he made his way to it, his shields held against the crush of sentience of the planetary city, and slipped inside, making his way to one of the observation balconies to take a quiet seat and listen. He never understood more than a tenth of what was being debated on the floor, despite being Padawan to one of the greatest of the Guardians, but he did not have to understand the details to observe the process and the people. 

The Chancellor was presiding, using a firm hand on those who attempted to filibuster reform issues, quietly suggesting more appropriate times for minor issues, and overall staying in control of the meeting. One issue, concerning the heavy interest and fees being charged by the banks, did almost come to blows. The Chancellor responded by inviting the three sets of delegates to subside or be removed from the floor by security for profaning the democratic actions at work.

Anakin's head tipped slightly, watching the reactions of the other myriad system representatives -- there were so many repulsor-pods, too many for him to count, and they did not entirely remain still, small groups shifting and drifting -- to the Chancellor. He knew, knew well, that his Master did not trust this man, was very wary of him and concerned about the power he held and the cruelty Qui-Gon had unearthed in his past and there was a faint trace of that same wariness in the eyes of the representatives he could see so closely. 

He loathed sitting still, would far rather be _doing_ something, anything, than just warming a seat like some useless Hutt but he needed to learn enough about this to at least guard Padmé, if nothing else. So he stayed still for the hours until the session closed for the evening, and then went to make his way back to the Temple. 

The Senators caused quite the traffic jam in getting out of the chamber and through the connecting walkways to their end destinations. It made it difficult for Anakin to get away with any speed, and he found himself turning a corner just as the Chancellor and his guards were turning into it from an alternate route.

"Ahh, young Skywalker, is it not?" the man called out, a smile on his lips, and projecting a kindly manner. "I've heard much of your exploits as a Jedi-in-training."

Anakin wasn't sure if it was the brightly avuncular manner, the idea that anyone would speak to such a distinguished figure as the Supreme Chancellor about a mere Padawan learner, that Qui-Gon distrusted this man, all of the above, or something else entirely, but the short-cropped hairs at his nape all stood on end at once. He dipped a very deep bow to him, trying to cover the confusion and his sudden sharp wariness, before he spoke. Something in him wanted the words to be true, wanted to know he was being spoken of, that even such important people knew of him and what he had done -- but not someone his Master distrusted. 

. "I -- yes, I am, sir," he answered, "but I don't -- I'm sorry, sir, why would people be speaking to you of me?" 

"Modesty is becoming, but don't let it detract from true skill and praise earned, young man," Palpatine said with sincerity. "That incident on Jerrist VI, helping negotiate with the Corporate Sector Authority during its recent trials was exceptional. I was following, as several systems had mentioned needing an end to the brutality employed there. Your name was mentioned in several independent reports on bringing an end to the strife."

"Thank you, sir," Anakin replied, dipping a bow to him again, trying to fight the flush of pleasure and delight at hearing his work praised -- and with a level of detail that said that the man truly _had_ paid attention to him -- without a great deal of success. "I try very hard to do well for the Republic." 

"I am certain of that." Palpatine gave him a fond smile. "Now, I take it you were at the session today. Do you care to tell me how the politics of a Republic look from your Jedi-trained viewpoint? If, of course, you have the time to indulge my curiosity. I am always seeking an outside viewpoint, to find the path that is best for our goals."

And who was the 'our' in that, Anakin wondered, even as he dipped his head, looking away uncertainly and wishing for Obi-Wan to suddenly materialize at his side. "I'm afraid galactic politics are a bit beyond my understanding, Your Excellency, but I would be happy to talk to you, if you're certain it wouldn't be a waste of your time?" 

//What are you doing, Anakin?// he asked himself in the next moment. 

"It's precisely that, young Skywalker, which makes me curious as to your impressions. I have spent so much time fighting the corruption and bureaucratic process," Palpatine told him, continuing their walk with Anakin now. "Having someone fresh to it, and trained to hear nuances, to see all sides of a matter, would be enlightening to me."

Anakin found himself smiling for a moment, delighted at the thought that he could help even a little with the depth of corruption and stagnation in the Republic, and he nodded to the Chancellor. Padmé liked the Chancellor -- or had, before Qui-Gon discovered some of the things their long search on Naboo had revealed -- and it was the duty of a Jedi to aid wherever he could. "Of course then, sir. 

"I seem to have come right into the middle of several matters, so without context, I'm afraid I may be wholly incorrect..." 

"Yet even if a path is incorrectly perceived, the impressions can become truth, through the fallacy of humanity applying their own filters," Palpatine stated easily. "So, your perceptions maintain validity, as I use them to see where I better need to help the Senate clarify matters."

'Humanity'? The phrasing bothered Anakin for a moment, as he thought of Masters in the Temple from many different species and planets, some represented in the Senate, but he had to nod understanding of the point. If he could help, then he would, and so he began with the first matter he had listened to, and what he had seen. 

++++

Qui-Gon had been meditating -- on a 'suggestion' from Master Yoda -- when the door to their quarters opened, but it only took moments of Anakin's presence for him to realize that something was wrong and to open his eyes.

Anakin looked confused, maybe even dazed, and certainly less than at peace with his day. He closed the door and shrugged off the loose outer robe and placed it where it belonged before padding into the main room. He hesitated there, glancing under his bangs toward his Master to see if the man was available.

He really felt like he needed to discuss his encounter, but at the same time, he was so confused by his reactions to the praise and interest.

Qui-Gon sat up a little straighter, disliking that look in his Padawan's eyes (liking even less the cast of uncertainty and doubt in the glance towards him), and he stretched out a hand to Anakin, unfolding from the meditative fold of his legs to settle his feet on the floor. "Good evening, Anakin," he said softly, holding back questions until he knew if his Padawan would talk to him without prompting. 

Anakin didn't pick up his pace, so much, but the change in body language clearly communicated relief. "Master," he said, hating that his unease made the word heavy on his tongue. He'd learned that it meant 'respect' for some of the Masters he learned from, and with his own, it was another word of affection. Qui-Gon was very much his family, and Anakin despised the moments when his past corrupted the word in his mind. He came and sat down on the floor, as close as he could get, wrapping his arms around his knees.

Qui-Gon moved enough to lay his hand on Anakin's shoulder, hearing something in his Padawan's voice he liked as little as he liked that tightly-curled, defensive pose. That Anakin would come to him, even when obviously distressed, would let him see that distress... sometimes he felt as though this boy's trust was the heaviest weight and second-greatest blessing in his world. 

"I'm here, Ani," he murmured softly, his hand steady on his Padawan's shoulder. "What is it?" 

Anakin took a deep breath and tried to remember he really wasn't just a kid anymore, that he could talk this out, and see it from different views.

That reminded him too much of Palpatine's words, and he flinched, physically.

"I met the Chancellor today."

Anakin flinched under his hand and Qui-Gon's breathing paused for a moment, and then two, as his Padawan continued. Met the Chancellor? How? 

"I take it that it was an... interesting encounter?" he prompted gently, his hand staying curled around his Padawan's shoulder. "How did that come about?" 

Anakin shifted a little closer, even though he was badly infringing his Master's space now, and took a deep breath. "I went to observe the Senate today, and stayed until the very end. I might have gotten turned around by the crowds, maybe, but somehow I wound up turning into the same corridor as the Chancellor. And he spoke to me."

He didn't think he'd gotten turned around that much on leaving. Had the Chancellor crafted the meeting? He still couldn't be sure, despite his initial wariness.

Anakin _never_ 'got turned around'. He could find his way through the most complex underground labyrinths of any world. The idea that he could have gotten caught up in the crowd enough to lose his way out was ridiculous, but Qui-Gon kept quiet on that, only nodding, even as his hand squeezed gently. "Oh? And what did you think of that meeting, Ani?" 

"It was odd, Master. He knew who I was, and he mentioned Jerrist VI, and our actions there, saying he'd heard of me through several reports." Anakin looked at his Master's face, the confusion thick on his face. 

"Not impossible," Qui-Gon murmured thoughtfully, "we do submit reports to the Senate, but so does every Jedi. That he would have remembered yours so clearly -- you are entirely worth remembering, my Padawan, but with everything else... it concerns me. 

"What did he want?" 

"I know, Master, I know. I was confused and wary," Anakin said. He did not voice that the praise had made him feel oddly good, to be recognized for his deeds. "He asked me, on confirming I'd been in the session, on my opinions of the proceedings. Claimed that he wished the outsider view.

"But I don't think I like the way he says things, Master. He said 'our goals' in referring to what he wants to accomplish, and it seemed odd. And he spoke only of humanity and it weighed wrongly in my views."

Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder again, still light, and let soft praise flow through the bond between them. "You have an excellent ear, Ani, trust it. 'Our' goals, was it? Mmm. 

"You looked almost unwell, when you came in, my apprentice; was that also from your conversation?" 

Anakin nodded, then paused, then shook his head. "Master, sometimes I am not a very good Jedi," he admitted. "It felt almost like Boonta Eve, to hear someone outside the Temple speak of me doing well. And I know pride has no place here. But it is hard to work past it, sometimes, even when I suspect that I was being manipulated by using the praise." He was not certain he could have admitted such a thing to anyone else, not even to Obi-Wan. Being a Jedi was all he wanted, and he knew his big brother was sometimes exasperated with him over his different views on the galaxy, or how he handled emotions. 

But to not tell Qui-Gon would have been a breach of trust and faith that the elder man did not deserve. Qui-Gon believed in him, and Anakin knew that Qui-Gon would not pressure him in any way. His Master would guide him, offer viewpoints, and let him choose.

Qui-Gon shook his head slightly, looking down at Anakin's bent head, the trouble written across his face, and patted his shoulder this time. "The desire for recognition, to make those we respect proud of us, and to be acclaimed," he said softly, picking his words carefully, "is, I think, innate to us humans, Anakin. Not to all other sentient species, or at least not in the same way but it is in our very chemistry. 

"That it exists is not the trouble. We cannot be rid of it. What a Jedi can do, _must_ do, is hold it in check... and be certain that those we seek the praise of are worthy of our esteem. Do you think I feel no pride, Ani, when another Master tells me I -- or either of you, my best students -- have done well? 

"Or when the people we have aided are grateful and praise us?" 

Anakin's lips tightened as he considered that. He shook his head, then sighed. "Master Yoda, others, often say pride is the biggest downfall of a Jedi. They say it leads to the Dark Side as quickly as anger. That pride brings arrogance and lack of compassion." He tipped his head to one side as he looked up at Qui-Gon. "I hear it a lot, but I don't see others at my level getting that lecture as often. It's like they think I am more at risk to Fall, for that reason," he said slowly. He didn't realize a boy long dead had walked that path, under Qui-Gon's care, and Fallen. There'd never been a need to truly discuss a man long dead, by Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon took a very slow, very even breath, his eyes closing, as he fought memories of the student he had found, cherished, and lost -- and also fought an equally strong flare of fury at the other Masters teaching Anakin. Did they think he was so incapable of learning from mistakes and tragedy as _that_?! Could they somehow not **see** that there was no comparison between Ani and Xanatos, that Anakin's heart was too open by orders of magnitude for him to be caught in the trap of hubristic arrogance?! 

"Master?" Anakin said, very softly, worried he had made a mistake. "I am sorry. I did not mean to criticize them, I'm sorry. I may not be seeing it right!"

"No, Ani," Qui-Gon told him, making his voice soft, gentle, not filled with the actual emotions he was feeling, "it's not you I'm angry with. Not you, at all. Shh, and give me a few moments, please? There's a story I need to tell you." 

Anakin went still and quiet; this was something he could do when asked, when it was important. Which seemed to be now, Anakin decided, because he didn't think his Master had ever looked so visibly upset in front of him before. He wished Obi-Wan was here to make it better, to be honest, because it was so wrong to have Qui-Gon be upset.

Qui-Gon pushed himself deep into a breathing exercise, using the pattern he had learned in his earliest days within one of the youngling clans outside the creche and repeated almost every day of his life to calm down his storm of anger and recalled grief. It took longer than it should have before he felt himself steady, longer yet before he was willing to open his eyes and look at Anakin. 

Anakin had not fidgeted or moved the whole time, giving himself time to reach for his center and balance. He couldn't help his Master if he was emotionally unstable -- as he had been reminded was a state he seemed to frequently be in by others. 

"Thank you, Ani," he said softly, and began finding the words for this tale. "About forty years ago," he finally said, still quiet, "there was a young Jedi Knight who was often found in some sectors of the Outer Rim, doing the Order's work. On one of his trips, he was a guest of the Governor of a Rim World. This Governor had a son, a fairly young child, who exhibited a powerful gift with the Force. 

"The Knight knew that the boy was older than the Temple would prefer, but the boy was so talented, even untrained, that the Knight pleaded with the Governor for the chance to take the boy to the Temple for testing." 

Anakin's eyes went wide. He wasn't the first one that was told that he had been too old? How many exceptions like him existed?

Qui-Gon nodded slightly, watching his own memories more than anything else. Xanatos as a child, all energy and quicksilver temper and wit, Xanatos as a student, prodigiously gifted and so very sure of himself in it... "This boy -- his name was Xanatos -- was eventually accepted by the Masters, and he became a member of one of the youngling clans. He did not have an easy time of it there. He was used to being the son of a Planetary Governor, to having almost anything he wanted available at a snap of his fingers, and even as a child he was very conscious of his own skill and ability, as well as to having power. 

"The creche masters and the early teachers did their best to encourage the boy to put those things behind him but he did not listen. While he was growing up, growing old enough to become a Padawan, the Knight who had found him took his first Padawan learner. But that young man learned swiftly, and was soon himself a Knight of the Order, leaving the Knight free to ask for Xanatos as his second apprentice. 

"He hoped that his influence might be able to do what the other Masters had not, and open Xanatos' eyes and heart to the true value of his gifts and talents. He was terribly wrong." 

Anakin looked vaguely disgusted and confused all in one. He knew he didn't relate to all the lessons the way the younglings who had grown up in the Temple did, but he still had tried so very hard to learn them and hold himself to the Code.

"I know I ask a lot of questions, Master, but being a Jedi is still most of what I want out of my life," he said, feeling a need to reassure Qui-Gon on that level.

Qui-Gon slid his hand from Anakin's shoulder down his arm, reaching for that hand as he smiled at his Padawan, quick and honest (and hopefully reassuring). "Anakin, I know _that_ as well as I know my lightsaber," he told him, steady and reassuring. "Questions are how one grows, and your questions, my apprentice, are born from your compassion for others and your desire to understand." 

He released his hold on Anakin's hand, slowly, leaving it up to the boy if he was actually going to let go or not. The next bit of the story could wait until he knew that Anakin was steady again. Actually, the next bit of the story could wait for the next Ice Age on this planet, if he had his way. 

Anakin gave him a very quick squeeze, letting his face smooth a little. "I want to be grow into someone as wise as you some day, Master."

"Hopefully you will gain that wisdom with less travail than I have had," Qui-Gon told him, smiling at Anakin's instant move to reassure him -- _him_ , as though Anakin were the teacher and not the Padawan, "my apprentice. 

"So the Master and the Padawan had several years of adventures together, until -- when the young man was sixteen, there was a crisis upon his homeworld, and the Jedi Council dispatched the pair, with two others, back to that world. The hope, I think, was that the boy's ties and the Master's skill could resolve the conflict before interstellar war resumed.

"There," he said quietly, "the Council was wrong." 

Anakin's head tipped to the other side now. "Obi-Wan has said it is a good idea that I never go back to Tatooine, but not why. It's not like there's anything there that would hold my attention now, but he looked kind of serious when he said it. Is this because of that? Because of the Padawan going to his homeworld?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "That is probably part of it," he agreed, "and also my own Master's history -- but that is a different tale, and this one is hard enough. 

"Xanatos' father, the Governor, had either always been corrupt, or had become corrupt in the years since the Master had seen him last. He had come to resent and regret ever letting his son leave, and had also come to desire more power. He had been the one to secretly inflame the situation, and he tempted his son to leave the Order behind, to return to the life of power and luxury he had been 'taken' from. 

"Xanatos accepted. But worse than that, he began to use his powers to sabotage the peace process." 

"No!" Anakin's anger flared sharply on that very idea. "That's … _wrong_!" He shook his head, before wrestling his outburst and emotions under control. "Sorry, Master. I just… how can anyone be _here_ and not understand how much people need help?"

The instant, furious denial and condemnation stroked like a high-strength painkiller gel across Qui-Gon's raw nerves, and he tugged lightly at Anakin's wrist, wanting his Padawan to come up onto the couch so that he could hug him close for a moment. Anakin needed no further urging, and scrambled up, too long legs and arms and lanky body tucking in where Qui-Gon could do just that.

"Oh, Ani," he murmured against the short brush of hair, "you make me so very proud. Thank you, my Padawan." 

Those words… they meant more than anything could ever mean from ten other people. (Unless one was Padmé. And maybe Obi-Wan.) Anakin had heard the earlier mention of being proud of him, but this one and the hug and how upset Qui-Gon had been made it all feel like a secret treasure to store away forever.

"I want to always make you proud of me, Master."

Qui-Gon held him for another long moment, before he let go and sat back slightly, willing to let Anakin re-settle away from him, now. "The boy's Master, already wounded by Xanatos' decision to leave the Order, had been investigating the causes of the strife, and it was not long before he learned the truth. 

"He was able -- mostly through the Force placing him in the right place at the right time -- to reveal the treachery of the Governor to the people of the planet, and the interstellar war Crion had intended became instead a civil war that engulfed the planet. The three remaining Jedi attempted to bring the war to a close by capturing Crion, but the man attempted to kill the other Padawan, and the Master rushed him." He looked away, off into the sunset outside their quarters, and saw the madness of that day all over again. 

"In the fighting, despite the Master's attempt to only subdue him, the governor fell into one of the nearby fires and... he died, almost instantly -- in front of Xanatos."

Anakin swallowed very hard. He was positive his reaction to losing Qui-Gon would be epically dangerous, as far as holding his Jedi calm went, if it happened in battle. While his mother had raised him to one point, Qui-Gon was everything he had imagined a father could be.

"That made it worse, didn't it?" he asked.

"Much," Qui-Gon agreed quietly. There was a darkness, a quiet danger, in Anakin's eyes that he knew all too well, had experienced himself at more than one point. "Xanatos would not listen to his Master's attempt to explain, to apologize. He went mad with fury and the need for vengeance, branding himself on the spot with one of his father's heirlooms, and would have attacked his former Master then and there if hundreds of the rioters had not arrived in the palace at that very moment, forcing him to run for his life. 

"And for almost a decade, Xanatos hid in the deep shadows and plotted a long, slow revenge on his former Master." 

"That's dumb," Anakin said. "Elaborate plans leave more room for error," he explained quickly. "Better to kill an enemy quickly and not leave things to chance. If, of course, there is not a way to turn the enemy to a friend," he added to make up for his particular take on strategy and planning. "He was just bad all through, wasn't he? Like, he already was, and nothing helped him be good? Or did he get that way all of a sudden, and nothing could change him back?"

Qui-Gon sighed, soft and heavy, and looked at the sunset again. "I wish I knew, Anakin," he answered quietly. "He was always vain, and proud, and arrogant -- but then, so was my Master, and he was a great Jedi Master for many years, so that is not a condemnation in itself. 

"I don't know how many times in those nine years I asked myself that question. Asked myself where I had failed, where I had not been wise enough or strong enough or giving enough to reach him..." 

Anakin felt a chill pass over him. He'd hoped, through the story, that this had been about Master Windu and an apprentice, or some other friend of his Master's. Of course it couldn't be, and all of it made Anakin hurt on a whole new level for Qui-Gon, as well as angry at the other Masters' riding him about his emotions. He reached out to take Qui-Gon's hand all on his own, squeezing. 

"You were younger, less-wise then, maybe, but you are a good man, and you see the better traits in people around you strongly, encouraging us to live up to them. I don't think it could have been anything you did, other than believing in him when he wasn't really worthy of that faith," Anakin said with all of his sincerity. 

Qui-Gon shuddered slightly, holding on to Anakin's hand for several long moments, looking into the absolute faith in those blue eyes, and he had to swallow hard before he could speak again. "Thank you, Ani. I -- very much hope that you are right in that. Half of the Masters in the Temple attempted to convince me of that, during those nine years... but you may have noticed that I am stubborn?"

Anakin actually giggled at that.. "Master, you _have_ to be! I've met Obi-Wan!"

Qui-Gon laughed almost despite himself, shaking his head a little. "Oh, Anakin, you should have met him at three weeks from thirteen, if you wanted a true gauge of his tenacity!" 

That sobered Anakin up some. He'd heard from Obi-Wan that things had been rocky at first for them. "That's why. That's why he said things didn't go well when he was a Padawan at first, for you two. Because you'd been so hurt."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly, half-surprised that Obi-Wan had mentioned that, and half because his chest and throat ached with the quietly understanding sympathy in Anakin's eyes and voice. "Yes. I had determined, the night I lost Xanatos, that I would never take another Padawan, that I would not risk another such failure. 

"I had done everything I could to keep Obi-Wan at a distance, even when we were on the same world -- which was a trap of Xanatos' making in itself -- and then Xanatos nearly killed him despite all my attempts to keep him away from the trouble." 

"Obi-Wan is great at finding trouble, Master," Anakin said idly. "But… I am very, very thankful that you and he did find your balance then, so I have you both now. There, that's my selfish bit for this." He grinned slyly for the way he'd phrased it, just to coax a smile, hopefully, from Qui-Gon. 

"He does excel at it," Qui-Gon agreed, even though he had found himself grinning at the impudent cheek of their Padawan, shaking his head slightly. "Brat. But I am also very glad. 

"I have no idea how any of them could see Xanatos in you, my Padawan, and I am more than a little angry with them for slighting you so." 

"Don't be, Master." Anakin gave a big shrug. "I'm the Chosen One, after all, and they just want to make certain I don't screw that up by being all normal and teenaged and stuff." He was still grinning, and he leaned in to hug his Master. "I don't find my calm as easy. I still get angry at the other Padawans for being clueless about life beyond the Temple. I don't always think the Council is right in how they guide the Jedi Order. But I trust in the Force, and I know you, and Obi-Wan when he's here, will tell me if I really make a mess of something."

Qui-Gon snorted, and wrapped Anakin in an answering hug for a long moment. "You're right," he agreed, "we will tell you. Firmly, if need be. And as for 'don't always think the Council is right', well that you get honestly!" 

Anakin nodded, proud of that fact. Qui-Gon stood his ground firmly, and did not let antiquated ways sway him. But, on the other hand, when Qui-Gon made a mistake, he admitted it fully. That was what made Qui-Gon's stubbornness a good thing, Anakin believed, that and the fact he would listen to contrary opinions.

"So… this all started because of the Chancellor." Anakin took a deep breath. "You have suspicions about him, and my instincts went sideways around him. He did invite me to join him, when he was not too busy after Senate sessions I make it to. Do you want me to take him up on that, Master?"

 _No_ wanted to scream from his lips instantly, and Qui-Gon forcibly throttled it down, making himself consider this opportunity with a strategist's eye and not a mentor's, but that 'my instincts went sideways' set klaxons to sounding in his mind in the next moment. "You have excellent instincts, Ani. If they warned you, or were disturbed... I think we must heed them.

"Meditate with me, Anakin," he heard himself saying, "about this time with the Chancellor. Let us attempt to see what -- if anything -- happened during it." 

He was no powerful healer, but he knew his Padawan's mind and heart better than any other -- except perhaps Obi-Wan -- could. 

"Food first?" Anakin asked, before giving a sheepish look. "My stomach's going to distract us otherwise."

Qui-Gon chuckled at that look -- familiar from Obi-Wan, Anakin, and (a long time ago) the mirror -- and nodded. "Yes, then. Let us both eat before we settle to work." 

++++

Anakin had put away quite a bit at their meal, then moved with his Master to the preferred space for a shared meditation near the window. From what Qui-Gon had said, they were likely going to need to use the training bond to make this one deeper than the usual ones they'd used to help balance each other in difficult situations.

He went ahead and closed his eyes, thinking of Theed, of Padmé's laughter, of his mother. All of these things helped him find his calm fastest. They were the peace he wished to always keep safe, and they were the parts of himself that were happiest that were not centered on his life as a Jedi. Once he found that level of calm, he could move forward, he knew. Nor did it take long; talking things out earlier had done much to soothe his upset from his day, making this easier.

He was ready, and just listening within himself for Qui-Gon, and the Force.

Qui-Gon settled into meditation himself, turning deep within his own mind for calm and centered peace, then drew deeply against the Living Force. He would need all of his skill with the power he held closest to, if he was going to look for contact-drug or Force manipulation in his Padawan's mind and body-chemistry. 

Once he was seeing with senses not entirely sight, he reached across the bond between them for Anakin, connecting to him with the Force as gently as he could. //Anakin?// 

//Master.// The word-thought was filled with faith and trust. Anakin's ability let him wrap into Qui-Gon's touch and lock it into place, reinforcing the training bond to a deeper level than normal for this meditation. //I'd left the Senate...// 

Anakin's mind drew the entire event into focus, all of his training as an observer showing in the tiniest details of a guard's robe hem being flipped slightly to the lines around Palpatine's eyes. It was trained recall, focused on the sensory stimulation in the memory, so that Qui-Gon could process it for himself while searching for anything untoward.

Qui-Gon was distantly proud of the clarity of the memories, the crisp details, and he watched it from just outside Anakin's own recollection, listening intently to every so-genial word, watching the man's pale eyes and the corners of his mouth -- and because he was watching so closely, he saw the faint hints of motion of one hand, and the abstracted edge of distance present at particular moments.

That was a very _familiar_ distance, to someone as adept with the mind trick as Qui-Gon Jinn, and he focused himself deep into Anakin's mind now, rather than the memory, seeking the neural disruption of that Force-guided alteration of thought. Even seeking, even with Anakin's mind open to him, he nearly missed it. 

It was so subtle, so careful. Not an overriding of his Padawan's formidable will, but a quiet 'nudge' that resonated of 'trust me' quiet and soft.

Anakin kept his mind as open as possible when he felt the divergence of Qui-Gon's attention. He reminded himself of the tricks he'd taught himself to maintain the bonds even in the middle of his worst moments of unease and self-doubt. He reaffirmed his faith in Qui-Gon, for saving him from slavery, for opening up a boundless future to him, and for actually caring about him. Whatever Qui-Gon needed to do, he had faith it was for the best.

Qui-Gon could feel that faith, the trust his Padawan gave him, and it gave him strength as he followed that first 'nudge'. It had embedded itself deeply in Anakin's psyche, even in this little time, and as he 'approached' it, the taint of the Dark Side, anathema to the Living Force he served, became stronger. There, there was the base of it, coiled next to Anakin's uncertainties, and Qui-Gon reached for Anakin's awareness, bringing him to see the place.

Anakin let his attention sharpen where Qui-Gon wished it; he could feel a wrongness now, one that made his skin crawl. Could he undo it? He was learning advanced self-healing in some of his lessons, but this was a psychic infliction. //The brain is a part of the body and suffers injury,// he thought as he pushed aside the doubt. The Force was his guide, as he willed himself to 'heal' the affliction. 

Physically, his face tightened up, and sweat broke out, as the dark manipulation worked against him, but Anakin was not risking his Master, or his brother for that matter, to the taint he'd been exposed to. He wrapped the darkness in his own energy and did as they always told him to do with his emotions, giving it to the Force to sweep away.

Qui-Gon bolstered him through it, giving Anakin the solid platform of his strength to lean against, to use if he needed it, and watched his Padawan work at his own mind. He would aid, if he needed to -- 

\-- but no. There was no need, Anakin had it firmly under control, had uprooted the compulsion and was letting the Force itself take away the corruption. //Good, Ani,// he told him, quiet praise, before he began to carefully separate their minds. 

//I try,// Anakin said, a little shakily, but cooperating with disentangling from his Master's presence. When he felt grounded in himself, the bond only a whisper once again, he opened his eyes, and then narrowed them.

"Right. Who's the best Master for teaching me to go all Watto on Force suggestions?"

Despite himself, despite all of his implacable anger at the manipulation of his Padawan, at the idea of a Sith so skilled as to hide right in front of them, Qui-Gon felt his mouth quirk in a sudden sharp smile at Anakin's immediate response. 

'Go all Watto', indeed. The Toydarian's Force immunity had been profoundly annoying, but it would be a very useful strength for Anakin, if any of them could teach how to guard against not the Living or even Cosmic Force, but the Dark Side itself. He considered the question for several moments, then nodded to himself. "Kit Fisto, Anakin; you and I will go and talk to him together in the morning." 

"Master Fisto is actually pretty cool," Anakin said, but he nodded to the last. "I feel like I just did saber training with Master Windu," he added, admitting it hadn't been easy to do what was needed. "Thank you, Master, for guiding me."

"Go and rest then, Ani," Qui-Gon answered, his hand resting on his Padawan's shoulder lightly. There was no need to thank him, this was his sworn and sacred duty, but oh, he was glad he had listened to his instincts and Anakin's. If that had been left to grow, to embed itself -- that did not bear thinking on. "I will, as well. That was strenuous, and more for you than me." 

Anakin nodded, standing slowly and moving toward his room. He stopped halfway there and turned to look at his Master. "Don't stay up half the night, Master. I pushed on a lot of issues tonight, and you had it rough. Obi-Wan's not here to fuss, so I will."

"I said I was going to rest," Qui-Gon protested, smiling wryly at Anakin's fussing, "didn't I?" 

"You have a bad habit of saying you will, and then I find you up a few hours later when I go for a snack," Anakin said, looking as stern as a concerned fifteen-year-old boy could.

"Impertinent Padawan," Qui-Gon said, shaking his head affectionately as he got to his own feet to go to bed. 

"Always," Anakin said with a grin, before going on to his room to sleep.

+++++

Kit Fisto looked up from his mostly completed meal with Bant, noting that Qui-Gon and his Padawan felt intent. Worse, Anakin had a lingering odor of adrenal reactions, very faint, but no one in the Temple had olfactory senses as strong as Kit.

"Our apologies for intruding, Master, Knight," Anakin said with polite urgency. "Master Fisto, may we speak with you this morning?"

"Master Jinn. Padawan Skywalker, I will speak with you," he said, rising and reaching for his tray.

"Leave it, Master Kit," Bant said warmly, giving Qui-Gon a faint smile. She'd been Obi-Wan's best friend his whole life, and she'd grown fond in her own way of the too-serious man that had taught Obi-Wan. That she was one of the few who knew the truth there, of the relationship, was very guarded knowledge. "I can take both… and Reeft is already walking over."

Kit grinned; the Dressellian was a walking appetite and would scrounge any food. "I will see you later, Knight Bant." He then turned his attention to the humans, indicating Qui-Gon should lead.

Qui-Gon had smiled back at Bant, pleased to see her well, but then Kit nodded for him to lead and he did so, turning out of the common room and towards some of the most shielded workspaces in the Temple, his hand occasionally brushing against Anakin's side. It had taken a long hour this morning to calm Anakin from the Force Vision that had kept him trapped and moaning in sleep, and his ribs ached yet at the strength with which Anakin had clung to him, frightened and almost hysterical. 

His Padawan had not told him the details yet -- had, still shaking before he went to scrub himself clean, said he did not think he could discuss it more than once, and he needed to speak to Master Fisto -- but Qui-Gon had learned some patience, and he understood the request. 

He opened the first of the unoccupied workrooms, held the door open for his Padawan and the other Master, and then sealed it shut, queuing an added layer of electromagnetic white-noise shielding as the other two sat down, some little distance from each other. 

"Thank you, Master Fisto, for leaving your morning to speak with us," Anakin said, pushing away the ghost-image of this smiling, playful man sprawled dead on the opulent carpets of an office he had never stepped into. "I need your help, badly." 

"I am here to assist, Padawan Skywalker," Kit said with warmth. "You are most agitated this day, and that is not a good thing for any young Jedi," he added. "Please tell me all you can, and I will do my best to aid you."

He meant it, too, as he did not like seeing any of the Padawans upset or frustrated. The learning experience needed to be supported in every way possible. He was curious why he was their choice to come to. He did not think of himself as particularly outstanding in any facet that might aid them.

Anakin locked his hands together, squeezing against his fingers, and he looked to his Master for a moment. Qui-Gon's gaze was steady, reassuring, and he arched a brow, silently asking if Master Fisto was already aware of his Master's suspicions. Qui-Gon nodded, slightly, and Anakin relaxed a little. 

"I have been going to observe the Senate in action, Master Fisto, when my lessons permit it," he began, "but yesterday, when I was leaving after the close of the session, somehow the Supreme Chancellor intercepted me. He knew me, Master, and he was full of praise for my accomplishments." 

Kit frowned, looking toward Qui-Gon a long moment. He knew the suspicions, knew that at least Master Windu was mostly convinced, but there had been no proof, no evidence. Now, were they finally going to get a break on that?

"While you have been most capable, it is unusual for a politician to take note of an individual Jedi," Kit said neutrally. "How did the rest of the encounter progress?"

Qui-Gon nodded slightly to Kit-- oh, they had proof now, in the eyes of any Jedi, at least, and yet, it might still do no good in the wider world -- while most of his attention remained on Anakin. 

The 'most capable' had brought an instant smile to his lips, one Anakin tried to hide in dropping his eyes and taking a slow breath. Praise from a Master meant so much more than the false-praise from that lying -- no, he would be calm. He would be calm, he would reveal this, and the nightmare future he had seen would never come to pass. He would not allow it to come to pass. 

"He said that he wished to know what I had observed, what an 'outside view' of the deliberations might tell him, and was not interested in that I thought my observations unlikely to be particularly helpful, but all of that was to buy time to speak with me alone, Master. 

"The more he spoke, the more I was torn between confusion and a desire to remain with him," Anakin admitted, "and while some of his words made sense, others offended me, for he seemed to think of only humans as truly valuable or important, Master. We parted when other business required his attention, and I returned home. 

"Master, would you speak here, of what you saw when I returned?" 

Qui-Gon nodded, as Kit changed his focus to the other Master. Qui-Gon could see that Kit was disturbed, recognizing the loss of the smile that was Kit's trademark, and the slightest wrinkle downward at that expressive mouth.

"Anakin arrived home in a confused and disturbed state of mind," Qui-Gon began. "We began to converse over his day, and it came out that he'd met the Chancellor. That Anakin tried to tell me he could possibly have gotten turned around provoked more suspicion on my part concerning the encounter. I have known my Padawan to navigate labyrinthine palaces without a moment of being lost.

"In the course of discussion, I was growing more certain that there was a risk to Anakin in the visit." Qui-Gon kept his calm, refusing to let any anger betray itself. Kit, despite being Yoda's student, was not likely to be one of the Masters apt to riding Anakin about his emotions. And that part of their discussions had no bearing on this, anyhow. "I invited Anakin to a joint meditation, and we explored the incident in full, together." He then flicked his gaze back to Anakin, as such an intrusion should be told by the one who had suffered it, to prevent betraying more than was needed to be said.

Kit had a vague feeling that he was about to hear something very upsetting, because as controlled as Qui-Gon was, as strong as the boy was being, he could smell the underlying emotions and unease.

"I was concentrating on the incident, on remembering all details, and we had proceeded some little bit into it when I felt my Master's attention shift, felt a deeper delving, and then, with his help, I found what he had seen." He shuddered, despite his attempt to control it, at remembering the feel of that whispering _change_ to his mind, the Dark taint of it. "There was a -- I don't know if I should call it compulsion or suggestion, Master -- but it was full of the Dark Side of the Force, lying deep within my mind. 

"A push to trust its maker, to be swayed by him, to -- to accept uncritically what he told me." 

Kit pushed into a straighter stance, as Anakin gave him all the proof he needed in those words. No one manipulated a being needlessly; there was always a goal. And for Palpatine to have done so, when he wasn't even known as a Force sensitive, user, or adept? When he had for so long said he had no knowledge of such mystic powers?

"This is a grave event, Padawan Skywalker," he said sadly. "But it is not yet the evidence we need, Master Jinn," he cautioned. "The Council needs to know, and there are few Jedi who will doubt this now, but the Republic are not Jedi. We will need further proof that the Senate, that the people, can understand and accept."

"I know," Qui-Gon agreed, quiet and frustrated, "it is not a thing that can be touched or seen, despite being more destructive, more dangerous, than most things that can be. 

"But this act, this attempt to twist Anakin's will; it slipped past all of his shields, old friend, past the guard of his will. There are few who know the mind better than you do, and almost none who are as skilled in cleansing and guarding it. This first attempt has failed, thanks to Anakin's trust in his judgement and in me, yet I expect another, and it may be -- less subtle."

"I can't let that happen again, Master," Anakin said, the very moment he was sure Qui-Gon had no more to say, knowing his panic was too clear in his voice, "I _can't_. The vision I had last night, it -- " 

Kit moved a little closer, pushing back into an active listening poise with ease. "Speak slowly, with distance, if you can, Padawan. I am here to listen, and you may take as much time as needed."

Qui-Gon pushed at the bond he shared with his Padawan, offering him the grounding and support of leaning into his strength if it was needed. Then, deciding that this was one of those moments when Anakin needed the solidarity, he moved and stood behind him, hands on the boy's shoulders, providing a more physical connection.

Anakin leaned back into the hands on his shoulders, breathing in, and out, letting the scents of the Temple, his Master close by, and the faint, pleasant tang in the air Master Fisto carried steady him. That took several long moments, and he only slowly opened his eyes again. 'With distance', Master Fisto said, as though what he had seen was not horrific. 

No, it was. But a Jedi must be able to deal with horror. "I saw... myself. Older, a Knight. Often in the Chancellor's company, often engaged in war -- full-scale war, Master, a galaxy-wide conflict I could not understand... and then I was standing in an office I have never seen. Here on Coruscant, more opulent than Padmé's chambers here were -- and full of blood and death. 

"Your death, Master," he said, breathing carefully, not tasting the blood by effort of will, "and Master Shaak Ti, Master Kolar. 

"Master Windu faced the Chancellor, with lightning in the air, as -- as I entered. The Chancellor cried out to me for aid, and -- and I -- " His voice choked off, and he was unable to voice it.

"You took the path you had been pushed to, and aided the Sith," Kit finished for him, surmising it with gentle worry for the Padawan.

Anakin shuddered in relief as the other Master spoke. There was no condemnation in his voice, no anger, and his own Master's hands had only tightened on his shoulders, Qui-Gon's presence protective, not angered or appalled; this could be dealt with. It would be. 

"We shall work together to guard you from the future you saw, keeping in mind that the future is always in motion. First, though, your Master and I must address the Council, to better aim efforts to find proof of the Chancellor's involvement with the Sith way of life." Kit drew in a deep breath, tasting all that pain and fear. "May I suggest time in the garden or the salle, to purge the pain of what you saw before we meet again later?"

He had tensed at the 'first', but then that made sense. That was wise, to tell the Council while he tried to calm himself -- it would _take_ time, he knew. "Yes, Master. Not the salle, I don't think -- my control is uncertain, and I don't want to hurt anyone. 

"I think I will run. Or, possibly even swim." 

Swimming, immersing himself in that much water, took much of his effort, and was always so amazing to him that it drained away his other emotions in wonder. 

Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulders firmly at that decision. Kit was correct on the needed order of business. He did not feel a need to ask Anakin to remain in the Temple today; he doubted his Padawan would venture out with his mind so raw.

"I will return here, when I am free, and wait for when you are ready, Padawan," Kit promised the youth. "This needs to be done on your terms, as much as we can, because these kinds of shields are inherently personal. If you cannot return today, I will understand, and await your message of when to proceed."

"I want to begin," Anakin replied, quick, but he was grateful, deeply grateful, for Master Fisto's kindness. "Thank you, Master." 

He leaned back into Qui-Gon's strong grip for another moment, then pushed to his feet -- turning as he did so that he could lean in against his Master's chest, arms wrapping low around his waist, face pressed to solid muscle. He could not fail them so, he could not; he would not. He would learn these things, once he was calm enough to do so, and that future would motion itself into nothingness. 

He nodded to himself, steadying a little, and let go so that he could go to the trails, then the lake itself.

"Your Padawans have ever been interesting and unique beings," Kit said once the boy was gone. "Are you well, Qui-Gon?" There was honest concern there, as hearing of an apprentice Falling to the Dark Side could not have been easy, even if it had been just a dream.

"No," Qui-Gon answered honestly, "I am not. I am frightened and furious and barely restraining my inclination to do very rash things. But I _am_ in control of myself, which will have to suffice for now." 

Kit nodded to him, before sighing. "Let's go see how we can _patiently_ bring about the Chancellor's downfall," he said cheerfully. "That will give you a focus beyond the boy's pain and worry." He had known what the answer likely was, but the chance to vent, if needed, was good for a Jedi's calm.

"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed, and left the workroom with the other Master. The Council should be meeting soon, after all. It was only that their meeting would now be more interesting.

Kit did at least brush against the faint bond he had to his former Master, letting the small ancient Jedi know there was trouble incoming. He then spent the time they had to wait for the Council occupied by deciding how best to help Anakin find stronger guards against the Force, and hating the necessity. 

+++++

All of the Masters were present and seated, curious as to why Masters Jinn and Fisto of all people seemed to be teamed up for some issue to present. While their former Padawans, Kenobi and Eerin, were known to have an abiding friendship, it was rare to see the Masters working together. Their skills tended to run in different directions, with Qui-Gon given to taking missions likely to lead to violence no matter how skilled a negotiator works the situation, and Kit was more suited to the complex ones that needed the in-depth discussion and analysis to undo the potential causes of violence.

"Masters Jinn and Fisto, you both have indicated a need to speak on a critical matter?" Mace finally invited, so they could all have their curiosity sated.

Qui-Gon nodded once, bits of his spinal cord popping as he straightened. "My Masters, you all know that I have held great suspicion of the Supreme Chancellor for years. I have now found the proof of them. 

"More accurately, my Padawan has. The Chancellor found him yesterday, and attempted to implant Dark Side suggestions within his mind." 

Before any of the others could play the advocacy game, Kit nodded. "I have spoken with the Padawan this morning, and he is most certainly struggling with the aftermath of overcoming such a compulsion."

"So there is confirmation at last," Saesee Tiin said slowly. "And yet it does nothing but confirm to us our efforts are on the right path."

"It is not so useless as that, my friend," Plo Koon argued. "It provides us with a potential motive to dissect, in that the Chancellor specifically targeted the Chosen One. Unless we know of other Knights or Padawans to have fallen into the Chancellor's path?"

"No, the Chancellor relies mostly upon his own guards, and what few Senatorial commissions we've had in recent years, have come from delegates, not him," Depa Billaba stated. "We no longer have the relationship we enjoyed under Valorum." At that, she nodded to Qui-Gon, who had been Valorum's personal choice for missions on more than one occasion. 

Qui-Gon had flashed a momentary glance of gratitude to Kit -- if some of the calmest members of the Council had challenged him... well, that did not bear thinking about -- and then he nodded to Master Koon. "You have a truth there, Master. 

"After we finished removing the compulsion from Anakin's mind, we both went to rest where Anakin had a frightening Force Vision of what we," this time, he meant Kit and himself, "believe, would have happened if my Padawan and I had not found and destroyed it."

"Elaborate," Mace Windu instructed, suspecting what had been seen. His meditations had been roiled the evening prior, and he'd actually lost in the salle to Depa because of pressure from a suspected but unclear shatterpoint pressing for his attention.

"The vision was related to me, by Skywalker, this morning," Kit volunteered, showing compassion for his fellow Master's point of relation to the entire subject. "Masters Ti, Kolar, Windu, and myself facing combat in an office that sounds as if it may be the Chancellor's. All but Master Windu dying before Skywalker enters. The Chancellor using lightning against Master Windu. And Skywalker… choosing the Dark." Kit said the last with sadness. "All of this set against a full Galactic war, Masters. We cannot allow such to come to pass, and I will be working with Padawan Skywalker to overcome and prevent suggestions from having effect in his actions."

That was, they all knew, a potent saber's edge to focus. On the one hand, they would protect Anakin from being a victim, but it would also blunt any curbing his Master could use through careful suggestion, if the future found another way to pull him to the Dark Side. Kit Fisto did not believe such would happen, though, given how upset Skywalker had been, and how carefully Qui-Gon guided his Padawan.

Qui-Gon nodded his agreement with Kit's words, looking between one Master of the Council and the next, studying their eyes. "Anakin is deeply concerned, and very distressed at the attempted manipulation, but he means to do as much as he can to guard us all from this.

"Which leaves us with knowledge but still no proof for the Senate or populace." 

"And an additional problem, Master Jinn," Shaak Ti said, still composed despite being named as one of the dead. "What happens if we, the Council, or the Order as a whole, pulls more focus down on one man who is able to sense the Force?"

Oppo Rancisis made a noise of dismay. "We still must work from the edges to find the proof, or be discovered and allow him to set the board against us," he said.

"Not quite," Adi Gallia offered. She gave a smile that was cunning, planting herself in the tactics she could see. "We bring pressure on one side, carefully making it look as if we are merely assisting his program of weeding out corruption. We drop it at points, increase it at others, making him wonder and try to counter, yet each time we move away, he believes we are fooled."

"Potentially leading him to make a mistake, at some point," Even Piell said, nodding.

Qui-Gon had not thought of that, and he smiled sharply as he bowed to the Tholothian master respectfully. That was a wise plan, he thought. If they did this correctly, the Sith would eventually expose himself, without warning him that they knew. This was a hard game they must play, and demanding, but it would eventually work. 

"Can we blind his Dark Side vision as so many of us have been blinded, my Masters, now that we know who he is?" 

Ki-Adi-Mundi looked across to Eeth Koth, then to Yoda. A silent conference ensued, before it was Yoda that spoke.

"Try, we must. Focused on your Padawan, is he," Yoda began. "To hide him or you would be unwise. Therefore, once Knight Kenobi returns, time to follow the leads he brings, it will be, to remove the Padawan from this danger as naturally as possible."

"Until that point, Master Fisto, train the boy to be strong against the Sith," Mace said. He then met Qui-Gon's eyes to see how the Master was handling being shuffled away from the investigation on the Sith Master.

Qui-Gon shrugged one shoulder at the Order Master, just slightly. He didn't care that someone else would have to take the closest investigation of the Chancellor -- he had found him, after all. He — they -- had not failed. But now it was time to protect Anakin, and leave the downfall of this now-known threat to others. "I agree, Master," he told Yoda softly. "I think we will all miss the community and challenges of being within the Temple -- Anakin will certainly miss training against you, Master Windu -- but there are many other tasks for us to face." 

Master Windu's mouth twitched at that bit about Anakin; the boy stretched his considerable skill more than anyone save Depa… or Kenobi. But all three fought in far different styles, pleasing him to try ever harder against them.

"Good, plan have we. Move forward, we shall," Yoda said firmly. "Unravel the Sith's web we must, before the Republic is harmed more."

The other masters agreed in a quiet murmur of sound and head nods, making Kit Fisto feel a little more at ease about the matter.

+++++

Anakin settled into his new rhythm with determination. He kept all of his lessons going, adding in the intensive sessions with Master Fisto as they were both available. Sometimes they managed to meet twice in a day, as it was important he get to a point where he could attempt to go back to the Senate, before Palpatine had a chance to get suspicious.

The day Anakin did brave the Senate, Mace took Qui-Gon to the salle, and the pair sparred until Qui-Gon was out of breath and Mace was sweating profusely. Anakin came home, reporting that he hadn't had another run-in. To be safe, he and his Master reviewed the day together, and were satisfied that nothing had happened.

Then a courtesy comm came in, nine days after the first encounter, telling them that Obi-Wan had landed and was on his way into the Temple.

++++

Obi-Wan had used most of his flight back to shed the disguise he'd worn, scrubbing the hair color out, shaving his mustache and beard completely off and generally trying to wipe out the life he'd assumed for the last several ten-days.

He was dreading seeing his Master again, because of the news he carried, even as he ached from this longest separation yet. He focused on that, on being happy to be back at Qui-Gon's side, locking the news away. He would let Anakin distract him, and then… later… he'd tell Qui-Gon the latest tragedy.

Qui-Gon had not gone to meet the ship -- though that had taken rather more of an effort of will than he was entirely comfortable with -- and was instead waiting inside what were nominally he and Anakin's quarters. So was Anakin, though he was dressed as though he meant to leave shortly. 

The Knight was too tired to carry his gear to his apartment and then go back to Qui-Gon's, so he bypassed the first part. He'd put it away later, after he had seen his beloved and his little brother. Maybe not even until after a good night's rest in his beloved's arms. He got to the quarters and let himself in, dropping the bag by the door even as his eyes swept the common room for sight of both of the people who meant the most to him.

"That was a long time gone," was his only complaint, before he strode toward them, not even bothering to get rid of the outer robe just yet.

Qui-Gon held back, letting Anakin move first, and he was not surprised when his Padawan wrapped his arms tight around their Knight and dragged him in close. He did not listen to the quiet words between them. 

Anakin held on through Obi-Wan's first moment of surprise, then relaxed a little as his brother's arms wrapped around him in return. "I'm glad to see you," he murmured, quiet, not wanting to spoil Obi-Wan's homecoming with any of the news of the last ten-day. "I'm glad you're home. 

"But you look terrible," he said, a little more loudly, "so I'm going to take that and drop it in your quarters before I meet Master Fisto." 

Obi-Wan gave a wry chuckle at Anakin's headstrong manners. "I missed you, Ani," he said, rough affection in his voice before he sighed. "Catch up with me after I've eaten real food and maybe slept a bit? I still don't like flying all that much, thank you."

He could have sworn his brother had put on at least another few centimeters in the short time he'd been gone. Or maybe Anakin was standing tall, when Obi-Wan knew for a fact he wasn't because of his news and fatigue.

"Sounds like a plan," Anakin agreed, nodded, hugged his brother again, and let go, nudging him towards their Master as he headed to sling the bag of gear over his shoulder and head out. He hadn't wanted Obi-Wan to think he wasn't glad to see him, wasn't glad he was home -- but he had no intention of staying in their quarters while the two of them reunited!

Qui-Gon flicked faint amusement at his Padawan as the door slid shut behind him, and then he moved to gather his beloved in his arms, dipping his head to kiss Obi-Wan, assuming his partner did not shift away from it. 

If anything, Obi-Wan melted into being held and opened his mouth to that kiss with welcome fervor. He was amused by Anakin -- honest, he could have gotten through a meal with both of them before being greedy about Qui-Gon's touch -- but he wasn't complaining a bit. Instead, he threw himself into showing Qui-Gon how much he had been missed with that deepening kiss and a low, throaty moan.

Qui-Gon could listen to that noise, feel the way Obi-Wan relaxed into his hold and kissed him back with so much open hunger, for days and never tire of it in the slightest. He caught the faint scent of shaving foam, knew his partner had spent time in disguise, and wrapped him a little closer. He needed this man so badly, had missed him so deeply. He kept kissing him, his right hand slowly sliding up Obi-Wan's back to latch into the hair at his nape, kissing him deeper. 

That touch… that touch meant he was truly home. Obi-Wan locked away his mission report, the news he bore, and just pressed his neck into that hold, working his own hand inside of Qui-Gon's tunics to hold on to his lover's waist.

//Yes.//

Surrender, pure and simple, to the care and loving of his Master, was the easiest thing to do, to center in the now so fully that his worries meant nothing.

+++++

After a leisurely shower in the 'fresher, which had only happened after a much needed sleep in Qui-Gon's bed, Obi-Wan was feeling far more himself. He dried off, looking at his face in the mirror, before shaking his head and reaching for his bathrobe. 

"Maybe I ought to grow in a proper beard," he said idly. "I made do with a scraggly one and a thin mustache on this mission, but it might help me with the mistakes on my age."

Qui-Gon turned to study his reflection for a few moments, making a quietly amused noise. "Don't you think we come in for enough teasing from your Bant without adding that?" 

Obi-Wan laughed warmly at that, thinking of his friend, before looking at Qui-Gon. "And here I thought it might help with public impressions if I had a more mature face." His eyes twinkled with the smile he was wearing; there was no doubt in his mind that their deep bond had helped Qui-Gon shake the faulty self-image of old age settling in. Obi-Wan sometimes wished he could use all the benefits of their deep, soul-level bond as an argument against the Code's prohibition on pairing off.

It actually took Qui-Gon a moment to figure out what his beloved was implying, and then he swung his off hand in a stinging swat to Obi-Wan's flank, murmuring, "Impertinent brat -- you're _both_ impertinent brats, my own; brats who fuss too much, at that." 

"Too much? Hardly, Master," Obi-Wan said with warmth and amusement, even as his eyes went smoky dark for that swat. "We merely wish to take the brunt of the action and save your energies and wisdom for bigger things."

"Mm, and this is why my Padawan fusses at me when he does not think I am going to sleep?" That look in Obi-Wan's eyes was inviting him to entirely other pursuits, again, but Obi-Wan did have a report to make, and Qui-Gon needed to tell him what had almost happened with Anakin. 

"I might have asked him to keep an eye out for your bad habits," Obi-Wan admitted, before moving to kiss the man lightly. "You neglect yourself when you latch onto a cause, my heart." He belted his robe shut and flicked his fingers through his hair. Later, he would tie it back properly and get dressed. For now? He wanted a meal with Qui-Gon before he had to be a Jedi Knight again.

Qui-Gon snorted in quiet exasperation as he pulled on his own robe, tying it around his waist. "Ah. Well, that explains that," he said, tugged Obi-Wan back for another light kiss, and leaned to open the 'fresher door. 

The smell of food promptly hit him, and he snorted in quiet amusement. "Speaking of whom, I think he's back." 

"Oh good. That means you won't insist on making my food," Obi-Wan teased his lover, walking out with him. "Anakin, thank you, dear brother, for saving me from our Master's cooking!" he said in an exaggeratedly cheerful voice.

Anakin looked around the partition from where the processor was, raising an eyebrow, before shaking his head and finishing his task. He had no doubt Qui-Gon would deal with that quip easily enough.

"This... this from the man that made a meal _Reeft_ wouldn't touch?" Qui-Gon asked, cocking his head to the side. 

Obi-Wan kind of stared at the man, then shook his head. "You forget none of my misadventures, do you, my love?" he asked, before grinning and making his way to the table. "Anakin, be careful as you train. He loves sitting around with the other Masters, topping their stories of Padawan troubles with our own."

"Oh, I already know that," Anakin promised him. "I've been asked if I was going to be as likely as you to lose my lightsaber, crash a ship, or start an interplanetary war," Anakin promised his big brother cheerfully. "By various Masters I am now studying with." He started bringing the food out for all of them.

Qui-Gon chuckled in amusement, watching the byplay between the two, deeply entertained, and asked mildly as he seated himself, "So what did you tell them, Ani?" 

"That I would do my best to keep Knight Kenobi from crashing further ships, and I had no interest in being in a war, so I'd be careful there." Anakin went back for the drinks as he spoke so Obi-Wan couldn't see his grin for too long about the piloting. Easier to tease, he thought, than think on war.

"And did not mention the lightsaber issue, because most of my misplaced saber incidents had them back in my hand before leaving the planet, whereas yours… well, little brother, I think you just enjoy making new ones." Obi-Wan was proud of Anakin, though, for being strong and well able to tease and play at the old jokes now.

"I do," Anakin agreed, his mouth quirking in a smile of his own as he came back, "but you have to admit that I've only had to go back to Ilum for a new crystal once, big brother." 

That 'no interest in being in a war' had flicked sharply along Qui-Gon's thoughts and memories, and he reached to wrap a hand around his Padawan's forearm lightly, before Anakin took a seat with them, the meal looking, and smelling, very good to him. 

"It is true; your lightsabers protect their crystals very well," Obi-Wan agreed. He had seen that touch, and he was curious; what had happened while he was away?

Anakin just gave a flick of appreciation at his Master for that support, before picking up his fork. "I like machines. They're not so complicated, not like other beings."

Obi-Wan considered that, then tilted his head with a look to his eyes that told them both he had an idea. "You know, Master Yoda nearly has to bribe others to maintain and make the low-power training sabers for the younglings?" he said in that idle tone he used when offering options to his little brother.

"I would say that's a little strong, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, before his mouth quirked, "but I was coaxed into making a few myself, years ago, and you're not wrong. 

"We may know the pattern, but the details... well." 

"Low-power -- those lightsabers the babies use are still actual cutting blades?!" Anakin had always assumed they were light sticks, as he didn't tend to go in the salle when the littlest ones were in there. His little Togruta sweetheart was using real lightsabers? She might be overwhelming at times, but he didn't want _anything_ happening to her!

"Well not the babies; they can't use lightsabers that young," Obi-Wan said, surprised by the very sudden and strong worry in their Padawan. 

"How low-power?" Anakin asked, not so sure about this idea.

"They make a small electric pop on the skin, a little heat, never truly leave more of a mark than bruises," Obi-Wan said. "Unless someone were to hold it against the skin for a lengthy time," he amended, remembering a few of his Initiate duels with… with Bruck Chun.

Qui-Gon shifted, getting his free hand against the back of his beloved's shoulder, aware of where his thoughts must have gone -- why were they never free of their pasts, when a Jedi was not to be bound by them? -- and wanting to support him, as he watched Anakin's reaction to something he had always considered normal. 

Something about the training 'sabers concerned Anakin greatly, and Qui-Gon was not certain what it was. "They are designed so they cannot cut, Anakin, and so the younglings learn the feel of the energy blade, rather than learn bad habits of counting on the weight of a steel or carboplas length that they would have to unlearn when in actual danger, instead of safely in the salle." 

Anakin weighed that, then slowly nodded. "I just… they're kids. Little kids, with dangerous energy blades," he said. "I think I'll talk to Master Yoda about checking them over, working on them. To make sure no one gets hurt."

"You've seen kids get hurt before… by other children?" Obi-Wan asked softly, reaching across to lay his hand near Anakin's. The youth took it, squeezing.

"Kids fight. Slavers… slave owners… often egg it on. Stronger slave wins, worth investing in. Weaker one dies… they got entertained, and that's one less weak mouth to feed." Anakin shrugged. "Kids aren't valuable, not until they show a skill. I got lucky."

As Anakin so calmly explained that atrocity, Qui-Gon felt his mouth tightening and his eyes darken, and for the hundredth time he wanted to go back to Tatooine and ask the Force to tell him who on that world of slavers, thieves, criminals and gangsters was worth saving... and who the galaxy would not weep for if they received the pain they had meted out to others back upon themselves. 

There was a decidedly cold spot coming from Obi-Wan in their bond; he was seething with fury over the very idea, and having difficulty putting it away. Learning more and more about life elsewhere was making his strict adherence to the Code more difficult with every year.

"Someday, we won't be chasing Sith corruption," Obi-Wan finally muttered, making himself turn all the anger away from himself and into the Force as he'd learned.

Anakin blinked, his head tipping slightly to the side as he watched his Master and his big brother go coldly resolute, both of their eyes distant and remote for long moments, and wondered what was wrong with them. It wasn't as though anything he'd said was unusual... and then he heard the tone of Obi-Wan's question again, the edge of baffled disbelief. 

It was unusual... to them, he realized, and he squeezed Obi-Wan's hand lightly. 

"So we won't," Qui-Gon agreed, and did not say the 'sooner than you think' that he was thinking. It wasn't time yet for that discussion. "And Anakin, if you want to volunteer to look over the training 'sabers, I am sure Master Yoda would be delighted." 

"It will spare the mechanics my company for a few days at least?" Anakin asked cheekily, getting them to laugh at his habits. It felt right, and Anakin actually had hope, now they were all together, that things would even out completely.

++++

"Master," Obi-Wan began as he finished settling his outer robe on his shoulders. He'd gotten his hair pulled back in a club; he still didn't think he would opt for the fuller length that his Master had grown, but he liked the brush of the hair on his neck. "I must share my news with the Council, but… I think you need to hear it first."

He had time, before the meeting, to do this. It wasn't time for the evening session yet, and he didn't actually want to drag the Council in for an emergency meeting. There was no gain in rushing the planning that would be needed to deal with what he had learned.

Qui-Gon settled to sit on the side of the bed again, looking up at his partner, his eyes darkening with concern at the tension he could feel from Obi-Wan. "All right, my own. Come sit with me and tell me. And then I will tell you about this last ten-day of ours." 

Obi-Wan settled on the bed, canting his body to face Qui-Gon. "I worked as a smuggler this time, and got further in. We were making deliveries to a planet called Geonosis. There was a massive factory for production of battle droids there. I saw all of the known Separatist species represented there, in the time my ship was down. And I saw the one that was called Darth Tyranus, Master."

He paused, wondering how best to say what he needed to. His calm was shielding them both, keeping the initial shock he'd felt from rippling out.

Obi-Wan's presence was calm, but his eyes were not. They had pain and dismay in them, and Qui-Gon felt his heart sink even before he asked, "And what other name was this Sith known by, before, my own?" 

There was a heavy sigh, and Obi-Wan reached out, taking his hand. "Dooku," he answered. "I saw him at a distance, Master, but he's aged fairly well from the last holo in the archives."

Qui-Gon shuddered, his hand wrapping around Obi-Wan's as he felt more of his world chipping and shattering... and there was an aching certainty, deep in his chest, that he should have gone to his Master when he Saw him. He had wanted so badly to believe that the turmoil in the aftermath of the assault on Naboo had brought his Master back to his senses, had roused him from the terrible apathy and pain he had fallen into after Galidraan, brought him back to the service of justice and peace, if not to the Order -- 

\-- how had he been so stupid? How had he not realized that his Master — 

"Master," and Obi-Wan used the word more sharply than usual, pulling Qui-Gon's attention to him. "We both needed you desperately," he reminded, well-aware of what the elder Jedi was probably thinking. "And if he was already embroiled with them at that time, a confrontation would not have changed anything, in my opinion. 

"Not given the notes in the archives concerning Serreno and what happened when he retired there and ousted the legitimate rulers." He held onto the hand he was holding all the harder, looking into his Master's eyes. "This is not about you, but about his ambition." 

Qui-Gon's eyes had snapped up as Obi-Wan spoke sharply, stunned at the calm assertiveness, the power in his partner's firm, steady voice. He had never quite heard his partner sound like that. As certain as the movements of the galaxy, and as inexorable. He listened to the words again, turning over that utter surety and the wisdom in them, and slowly they settled into the agony where the news of this newest betrayal in his heritage, soothing and calming. Eventually, his mouth quirked into a wry smile, and he shook his head a little. 

"I told you years ago you were a much wiser man than I am," he said, soft. "All right, my Knight; you're right." 

Obi-Wan gave him a small smile for that. "I'm just glad you listened," he admitted. "I am sorry it is so close to you, Qui-Gon.

"Now, you mentioned your last ten-day, and I saw that you and Anakin seem to have crossed some line of trouble together," he finished up, to push them to think of other matters than just the treachery that plagued their connections.

"So we have," Qui-Gon agreed quietly, "so we have. I'll hit the important points for Anakin first -- that's what matters, anyway. 

"He's been going to watch the Senate in action for a little while, trying to get a grip on its maneuvering and purposes. Nine days ago, when he went to leave, the Chancellor caught up with him." 

Obi-Wan's eyes went wide and he thought of Anakin clearly, trying to determine if there was harm to him. "And what happened?" he asked as he remembered an impression of a shade more control in how Anakin was shielding himself. He touched the feather-light bond between himself and his little brother; it felt safe and normal to him at least.

"He's all right, my own," Qui-Gon soothed softly, running his hand along his beloved's forearm. "He wasn't when he came back to me, but he is fine now. I don't believe I'd ever seen him look so shaken as he did then, though." 

"So we are correct, I take it," Obi-Wan said grimly. "Can we do anything about it yet?" He hoped the answer was yes.

"Yes, we are," Qui-Gon replied, "and no, we can't. He did nothing untoward that anyone could see or hear, simply had a conversation about the politics of the Republic. The compulsion he laid upon Anakin he laid without words, and it was a terribly subtle thing before we destroyed it." 

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and looked toward their ceiling for patience. "Right, tell me that at least the Council is fully on board with finding the proof now?"

"They are," Qui-Gon replied steadily, squeezing Obi-Wan's hand lightly. "They are very much so. And if they were not Jedi Masters I would say they are enraged at being fooled so long. 

"Anakin and I worked on the memory and compulsion in deep meditation -- and you will never believe what he said to me when we were speaking aloud again!" 

"Knowing Anakin, it was either a Huttese profanity on the progeniture of the Chancellor, or something extremely cheeky," his Knight answered that, shifting his hand to run his thumb along the fingers and hand bones in a light massage. "And I am very glad that all of my tagging along when he was younger never impeded his ability to fall into a bond with you."

"You're close with both," Qui-Gon said, his mouth quirking just slightly. "No, what he actually said was 'Right. Who's the best Master for teaching me to go all Watto on Force suggestions?'"

He had made his tone the best echo of Anakin's implacable, clipped words as he could. 

Obi-Wan listened to that, smiling at the impression, then grinned even more widely at the idea behind it, remembering Qui-Gon's frustration about encountering a Force-resistant species at a time of critical need.

"He's something else, our Padawan," the Knight said with great affection.

"Isn't he just?" Qui-Gon agreed entirely. 

++++

Obi-Wan hadn't had to report to a full Council for any other mission, but he thought it was just as well. Better to get it all out in the open now… and he spared a small amount of empathy toward Master Yoda. The small, ancient Jedi lived by the Code, refusing to linger on the past, but Obi-Wan knew that did not preclude all his emotions on it.

Yoda was just better than some of them at letting it float away into the Force.

"I did make it to Geonosis, which does seem to be the center of production for the droid forces that are terrorizing the edges of the Republic," Obi-Wan began. "From the production numbers, I would go so far as to say they are preparing to send occupation forces to planets on the proverbial fence about joining them."

"That is most concerning news, Knight Kenobi," Master Rancisis said, his heavily bearded and furred face creasing with a deeper frown. "Few worlds of the Republic have the military might at hand to resist legions of droids... and the waste and loss of life will be terrible, if this comes to pass." 

Master Windu nodded, just slightly, both agreeing with Master Rancisis and accepting -- however unhappily -- Obi-Wan's assessment of the situation. 

"While the Trade Federation have not been very successful in their use of the military assets they have deployed," Obi-Wan began, somewhat pleased but keeping it hidden for his part in that, "the Techno Union does have competent military advisors and generals. With the aid and financial backing of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, this course of armament may even be poised to eventually break into more Republic-controlled territories." 

He looked around the room to see how each Master was taking this, unsurprised to see Masters Billaba and Gallia frowning with almost twin expressions. Both were strong, direct fighters, but neither would want the escalation of this level of violence.

Master Piell also wore an expression of deep concern, his battered, scarred face tight, and his large ears slightly drawn in, his hands folded, shaking his head slightly. "That will create terrible hardships, Knight Kenobi which would be the very desire of the Sith. Where there is great pain and chaos, of course the Dark Side thrives." 

"Unsurprisingly, the Dark Side is thriving too well there, Masters," Obi-Wan said. "I managed, at a distance, to finally identify the Sith we have heard rumored, the 'Darth Tyranus' that we learned of early on in the Separatist bid for power." He made a point of looking at each Master in the face before bringing his eyes to Yoda. "I bear news of a Fallen Jedi, Master," he said to the ancient one directly.

Yoda's eyes narrowed, and his mouth pursed tightly as he understood just how and why he had been so blind to the maneuvers around him. "Know this, does your former Master, Knight Kenobi?" He did not need to hear the name to know which of those he had trained had Fallen.

"He does," Obi-Wan answered, lowering his eyes in respect for the loss of a once respected Master.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Master Saesee Tiin said -- and it was, Obi-Wan thought, only the second time he had ever heard the ruddy-skinned, dark-horned Master speak in Council -- a low 'No' that was as much understanding as dismay. 

"This is a grave moment for the Order," Master Eeth Koth said with concern. "There are many of us that he would know all of the drawbacks and advantages of," he continued, as there had been looks his way for clarification.

"Truth, Master Koth speaks," Yoda said, closing his eyes. "Well it is, then, that Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker are newer than Dooku's disaffection. Better, still, Master Jinn's continued evolution as a Jedi, in paths Dooku knew not."

"Master Yoda --" Obi-Wan began, surprised they were going to still take the lead on this.

"We must move Anakin away from Coruscant, Knight Kenobi," Master Windu spoke, cutting across the young Knight's protests, but not unkindly. "Before our other Sith foe can make other attempts against him. Master Jinn has already agreed to follow your intelligence, so as not to raise suspicion in our _Chancellor's_ mind. 

"It will be difficult for all of you, yes... but you have the advantages Master Yoda listed." 

Obi-Wan brought himself in check, and then nodded, stiffly. Anakin was going to spend time in the salle with him, then, before they left. He needed to see how much more his little brother had learned in Master Windu's lessons. He did not want to see Qui-Gon come face-to-face with Dooku if he could help it, but likewise, he did not want Anakin at risk.

"Determined, you are," Master Yoda pointed out to him. "Likewise, young Skywalker. Foreseen, a Galactic War. Want this, he most certainly does not!"

"Foreseen, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, startled. His assessment was a matter of observation and tactical knowledge, not a vision -- but if someone _had_ Seen his assessment becoming truth-- 

"Foreseen," Yoda repeated, nodding. "By several, now that know who blinds us, we do." 

"We must do everything we can to avert that path," Master Windu said softly, "before the forming shatterpoints become the destruction of everything we hold dear." 

Obi-Wan took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He then nodded once, glad he had come alone. It would give him the full space of the walk back to get his heart wrapped around necessity and the likelihood that one or more of the three of them would not come away unscathed. There was even a chance that one of them might die; Dooku was accounted as one of the best lightsaber users in the galaxy.

"We will take time to prepare for the mission," he said at last. 

"Prepare, yes," Yoda told him. "Make haste, do not. Patience is your friend. Dooku, rare for him to keep his."

Master Windu nodded his agreement with that, and looked at him with quietly steady dark eyes. "Thank you for your efforts, Knight Kenobi. Did you learn any other important news? Often, things do come in threes, after all." 

"I suppose I'll have to leave that to some other enterprising Jedi, Master Windu," he said evenly and not without a trace of his acerbic wit.

"Mmm, apt for young Padawan Skywalker, that phrase is," Master Yoda said thoughtfully, his large eyes betraying his smile more than his thin lips. "And already found the other, he has." 

Obi-Wan was going to have a long talk with his little brother, and see if he could help Anakin. Force Visions were hard on a person, and he worried even more, just because it was Anakin. He bowed deeply to the Council, and then left, feeling the end of the meeting in the air. This was going to be very interesting, and too dangerous, but it was what the Order did.


End file.
